Tzafoni, Daniel

Son of Gedalia and Itka. He was born on January 1, 1946 in Beit Alpha. Graduated from the “Gilboa” educational institution. He was among the outstanding students, with willpower, perseverance and stubbornness, which led to abundance of ability in all areas of life, and at the same time to help the failing one, whether spiritual or physical. From the 11th grade, he worked in the citrus branch, tended to the sport and loved his games, especially to basketball and quickly became part of the local team, and in the games he showed combat spirit and stood out as a fighter. In 1963 he coached the team that won first place in the “Hapoel for Boys” championship the following year, and at the age of 16 he joined the Bet Alfa basketball team in the national league. In November 1964, he was drafted into the IDF, and his ambition was to volunteer for the paratroopers, because he was enchanted by this force, but at the time he felt the need for armored personnel carriers and he began his service in the Armored Corps. He was a tank soldier and went through all the training stages: basic training, a variety of subjects, a course for tank commanders, and recently completed an officer’s course with honors. The battalion’s only operational officer, was the representative of the battalion in the performance of the tank’s operation and reached a peak in the shooting of Staff A. Several times He was on the northern border as commander of the Tel-Dan division, and he served in compulsory service with a prior commitment to the regular army, when the Six-Day War broke out and when the battles broke out he fought in the Rafah-El-Arish axis. When his company arrived, Al-Jirdi fell in a battle that took place there, on the first day of the battles, on June 6, 1967. When his tank was hit by an enemy shell and by a roaring vehicle Daniel managed to rescue casualties with all his clothes burning. Although he was transferred to the home front but was in critical condition – and thus died of his wounds. Daniel’s fighting and leadership were commendable and a promotion to the rank of captain was recommended. He was buried in the emergency military cemetery in Bari and was later transferred to the eternal rest of the cemetery in Kibbutz Beit Alfa. With the information of the Gilboa Regional Council in memory of the fallen people, his memory was raised. The kibbutz issued a booklet in his memory bearing his name. In the booklet “From Them”, published by the Kibbutz Artzi in memory of his friends who fell in the Six Day War, a page was devoted to his history. His name is mentioned in the “Expositions in the Turret” to S. Tevet. In the collection of the sons of the fallen soldiers in the Israeli army “-” Goalei Ash “- Volume 4 – was brought from his estate.